WebCAT: The Development, Performance Analysis, And Deployment of a Web-based Crime Analysis Toolkit

The Systems and Information Engineering Department at the University of Virginia has teamed with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services since 2000 to develop WebCAT, the Web-based crime analysis toolkit. WebCAT provides crime analysts with a tool to access Virginia´s statewide crime data and effectively analyze it. The authors have prepared WebCAT for deployment by finishing its development, conducting an integrated system performance evaluation, and performing a life cycle analysis. Regarding deployment, the data acquisition, query time efficiency, and spatial mapping capabilities have been improved. A performance evaluation assessed the effectiveness of WebCAT´s developments to ensure that it is now a more efficient tool. Finally, the life cycle analysis provided a methodology for maintaining WebCAT after deployment. The work done this year guarantees that WebCAT is not only ready for deployment, but also that it will be a sustainable toolkit that will aid in crime prevention in years to come